Jerk Chicken Pizza
Submitted by golfer100
Jerk chicken pizza, a Caribbean spin: spicy jerk-seared chicken and shiitakes on a barbecue-sauce base with smoked mozzarella and asiago, finished with cool mango-mint salsa. Sweet heat meets smoky cheese.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
45 minThis pizza takes a trip to the Caribbean, layering fiery jerk chicken over a sweet-smoky barbecue base and cooling the whole thing down with a fresh mango salsa. It is a study in contrasts, and every bite hits hot, sweet, smoky, and bright at once.
The chicken is rubbed in jerk seasoning and seared hard before it is sliced, so it carries real char and spice onto the crust. Barbecue sauce stands in for tomato, echoing the sweet heat, and a trio of cheeses, including smoked mozzarella, adds a woodsy depth. Shiitake mushrooms bring an earthy note.
The salsa is the move that makes it sing: ripe mango with red onion, tomato, mint, and a splash of balsamic, spooned over the moment the pizza leaves the oven so it stays cool and fresh against the spicy, bubbling cheese.
Pro Tips
- Sear the jerk-seasoned chicken hard before slicing, so it builds char and the spices bloom.
- Use barbecue sauce, not tomato, for the base; its sweetness balances the heat of the jerk.
- Add the mango salsa only after baking, so it stays cool, fresh, and crisp against the hot pizza.
- Bake hot and fast on a preheated stone or pan for a crisp, browned crust.
Variations
- Use store-bought pizza dough or a flatbread to save time.
- Swap the shiitakes for pineapple chunks to lean further into the tropical sweet-heat.
- Adjust the jerk seasoning up or down to set your spice level.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare Dough:
In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar and stir well to combine.
Set aside for 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, semolina flour and salt.
Add olive oil to the yeast mixture.
Stir well and add to flour.
Add additional ½ cup warm water.
Bring the mass of dough together until a compact ball is formed.
Turn dough out onto work surface and knead vigorously for 7 minutes until smooth and satiny.
Place a small amount of olive oil in a large bowl.
Put dough in the bowl and turn it twice to coat.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
Set the bowl in a warm place.
Allow dough to double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down dough and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature before using.
Roll dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter, building up the edges slightly.
Place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet.
Prepare Toppings:
Coat chicken with jerk seasoning.
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and when hot, sear chicken on both sides.
Remove chicken from pan, add mushrooms to pan and sauté them for about 1 minute.
Drain liquid from pan.
Slice chicken into thin strips.
Prepare Salsa:
In a small mixing bowl, combine and mix thoroughly all salsa ingredients.
To Assemble Pizza:
Spoon barbecue sauce onto dough.
Top with mushrooms and chicken strips.
Sprinkle cheeses on top.
Bake pizza in a preheated 450’F oven for 7 to 8 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is golden and bubbly.
Garnish pizza with mango salsa as soon as pizza is removed from oven.
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